An Enterprise Guide to Oracle Cloud Learning Services

Have you received a proposal from Oracle that includes education products that you might not have expected?  If so, you aren’t alone.  We are increasingly seeing Oracle include its Oracle Cloud Learning Services (listed under category ERP EDU, HCM EDU, etc.) in their cloud proposals, often without the client even asking for it.  At a high cost per user, the amount these educational services can add on to your net Oracle costs can be significant and even reach into the millions.

While some companies may benefit from these educational services, others may decide their company doesn’t need them at this time.  Here, we will provide a brief overview of what Oracle’s Cloud Learning Services are and what you should do whether you decide you want to purchase them or not.

What are Oracle’s Cloud Learning Services?

Oracle Cloud Learning Services is a series of learning and training solutions from Oracle University (OU) geared towards helping Oracle customers transition to the cloud and receive the maximum benefit from their cloud solutions.  Lessons are entirely video-based and available on-demand 24/7.  Oracle advertises that these will help ensure your journey to the cloud is successful, ensure compliance, and reduce costs over the cloud term (by lowering support calls).  These subscriptions also give your employees an opportunity to get Oracle certified which they may consider beneficial to their careers.

Oracle’s Cloud Learning Services consists of the following three solutions:

1. Cloud Learning Subscriptions

This Software as a Service (SaaS) learning subscription guides staff through the technical and functional aspects of the Oracle SaaS applications – from implementing and administering the applications to learning how to complete process transactions within the latest release.

Types of learning subscription solutions:

• Oracle Financials Cloud Learning Subscription
• Oracle Procurement Cloud Learning Subscription
• Oracle Project Portfolio Management Cloud Learning Subscription
• Oracle Supply Chain Management Cloud Learning Subscription
• Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Cloud Learning Subscription

Cloud Learning Pricing Structure – Unlimited Cloud Learning Subscription

• Per-user per-month with term
• Subscription-based including multiple features

 

2. Guided Learning

Oracle Guided Learning offers end users of Oracle Cloud applications online learning that is directly accessible from their Oracle Cloud application.  Specific to several end-user employee roles, Guided Learning serves as a context-sensitive navigation device, which offers users walkthroughs to help them complete their tasks.  Guided Learning will be automatically updated by Oracle University with every Oracle Cloud release.  Oracle Guided Learning includes:

• A standard library of content for Oracle Cloud applications
• Provisioning of that library in accordance with the configuration of the Oracle Cloud applications
• Tailoring of step-action user guides or base flows to the configuration of the Oracle Cloud applications and processes
• Library upgrades for each Oracle Cloud application release for the duration of the contract

Oracle Guided Learning Pricing Structure – Same as the Cloud Learning Subscriptions but with the ability to buy modules a la carte rather than paying for unlimited access.

• Per-user per-month with term
• Subscription-based pricing per-year per-module

3. Oracle Learning Explorer (Free)

Entry-level training courses and accreditation for Oracle’s entire product portfolio, designed to empower professionals across the globe to begin cultivating valuable IT skills.

Oracle Cloud Learning Discounts

There are some public discounts listed for AUSOUG members and Oracle User Group Champions who can receive 25-50% off their individual memberships using specific coupon codes.  These offers expired prior to September 2021 but they have reintroduced the offer for a different time period more than once so it may be worth looking into for individuals who would like to purchase a subscription on their own.  That said, we have advised companies that have been able to negotiate even higher discounts on Cloud Learning and Guided Learning services.

Do you Really Need it?

Whether these learning services are worth it depends on your team and its needs.  However, Oracle will try to make you purchase it even if you don’t ask for it.  So be careful and take the time to evaluate whether it makes sense for your company to purchase it or not.  Oracle tends to add its paid Cloud Learning subscriptions into the proposal of a broader EPM or ERP purchase so be sure to thoroughly review each piece listed in your proposal before moving forward.

What to do if You NEED / WANT Oracle’s Cloud Learning Services

1. Ask for full pricing details. This should include the list price, discount, and net price on a line-item basis per-user.

While a Cloud Learning subscription is just unlimited cloud learning, Oracle Guided Learning contains multiple modules that you will want to request the price of.  This includes:

• ERP Self Service Guided Learning
• Procurement Cloud Service
• Product Management Cloud Service

2. Consider whether you will make use of the unlimited subscription.

If you don’t think your company will use it enough to justify the cost of unlimited, consider purchasing access to the individual modules you are most interested in through the Oracle Guided Learning subscription.

3. Ask Oracle to provide a ramp of the users accessing the Cloud Learning Services until everyone is in full production.

Since implementation of the SaaS solution is not immediate, not all of your users will have access to the solution from the first day as it will take time for the entire user base to be in full production. The ramp of users accessing the Cloud Learning Services should coincide with the ramp of users accessing the SaaS solution.

What to do if You DON’T Want Oracle’s Cloud Learning Services

If you decide this is not something you’re interested in purchasing at this time, there are still some actions you should take now to ensure you get the best pricing in case your situation changes in the future.

1. Ask Oracle to remove it from their pricing proposal or bill of materials immediately before further negotiating the SaaS products you really need.

Otherwise, it might get harder to improve your discount as Oracle will likely position that you are now reducing your overall spend (even though you never really needed Cloud Learning in the first place.)

2. Ask for full pricing details (including list price, discount, and net price on a line-item basis per user) and negotiate a better discount that includes a price hold.

Negotiating a better discount will be easier to do now, as part of an immediate purchase event, while you still have leverage.  If you realize your team needs it at a later date, you’ll have price predictability.

Regardless of whether you need Cloud Learning subscriptions now or not, every customer should take the time to understand its potential value and how you can potentially lower your costs.  If you don’t need them at all, don’t make the mistake of simply leaving the subscriptions in your proposal and forgetting to make use of them.  These educational subscriptions are completely optional, and you have the right to decline them or purchase only a portion of them if that better suits your needs.

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